Thanks for the memories
by Asher the Fox
Summary: When Shadow mysteriously disappears one night, the only thing he left behind was a note taped to Sonic's front door. But when he returns 5 years later there's something not quite right with Shadow...Dedicated to Drake the Duck
1. Chapter 1

**ARGH! Why the hell do I keep coming up with more story ideas? Jeez, I'm always listening to music and it gives me new ideas! **

**Summary:** When Shadow mysteriously disappears one night, the only thing he left behind was a strange note, taped to Sonic's front door. But when the black hedgehog returns 5 years later, there's something horribly wrong with him...and is it really the real Shadow?

OoO

_Chapter 1_

_Shadow's POV_

I have been dreading this day for 10 years now.

Why did I make that stupid deal with him? Because I didn't know back then what he really wanted with me. He wanted control over me, and I knew he thought that since I was a creation, that I'd take orders from him. Wrong.

All I wanted was the disk, not seeing the whole picture of what was to happen. I can't go back, I have to go, because I swore on the Chaos Emeralds...

Nobody, not even the guardian, knows anything about making vows on the Emeralds. It says in the old Echidnain legends that if the promise is broken, you will be cursed. There was another part to it, but the scroll had seemed to be missing a huge chunk to it; ripped off by someone.

But apparently he did. And to make things even worse than they already were, I lost the disk on my fall to Earth; I was so...I can't even describe it...

I'm still wondering whether I should leave the note I wrote to them...I don't want them to go looking for me. But here's the thing: I want them to know what's going to happen to me, but I'm not going to tell them directly. If he gets ahold of that note or if they lose it, it's all over for me.

I'm currently walking down the street for the last time on my own free will, something I'll probably never do again. I wonder what this world will think when I'm working for the enemy... then again, they've never completly trusted me, so why should I care? It's always been me against the world.

But the one thing that's going to bother me is the GUN Commander. He's always sworn I was evil, and now I'm just going to prove him right by doing this...if he even reconizes me when that bastard is through with me.

After careful consideration, I've deacided to leave the note, just for the heck of it...just because they deserve to know what happened to me, cause chances are, I'll be fighting them someday once again...

Sneaking up to that blue hedgehog's house, I quickly post the note messily on the front door, and take one last look around me. I'm sad to say it, but I'll miss fighting alongside that blue idiot and his friends.

I disappeared in a flash of light.

Thanks for the memories...

OoO

**Andd, there you have it. Chapter 1, which is really a kind of prolouge, but whatever. Chapters will get longer, I promise! Thanks for reading and RR please!**

** xAsh**


	2. Chapter 2

**AAnd here's chapter 2! Thanks to all my reviewers for reviewing! It means a lot to me. And one more thing before we start, This is not going to be a Yaoi story. At some points it may seem like it possibly, but I don't and can't write romance, much less Yaoi. I have nothing against it, but I won't write it either. Wow, that sounded serious, but...okay, start the fic! :)**

OoO

_Chapter 2:_

_Sonic's POV_

Boy, was I sure clueless.

I had gotten up from a nice long sleep that morning, up and rearing to take my morning run. It was a nice day outside, in the 70's with a light breeze. My favorite kind of weather for running.

I quickly scarfed down a cereal bar, when I heard footsteps from upstairs. Tails must be up too. I made my way over to the door, walked outside, and just from the corner of my eye, I saw a small note taped to the door in neat, handwriting. Oh Well. I'll get to it later, it's probably just a flyer for a business or something like that.

I had a certain route I liked to take everyday, and it never got boring, I would start by heading through Station Square, curve out into Green Hill Zone, come back through Central City, and end right back here, in Mystic Ruins. It was actually a pretty long distance, even for me and my speed.

I took off at a leisurely pace toward the high sky scrapers in the far distance. What a view it was!

I checked my watch when I neared the giant city, and realized I was very late to Green Hill Zone. See, it's kind of become a regular thing, but the first time I took this route, Shadow joined me at Green Hill, and we raced back to my place. When I took the same route the next day, he met me in the exact same place, and we continued to do it.

So I figured I better pick up the pace, or Shads' will cram this down my throat if I lose. Course I've also got to watch out for people in the city, so that always slows me down, but only slightly. Faker's not going to win today!

I'm nearly there, just a few more paces...

But from the moment I entered the Zone, I could just feel that something wasn't right. It just didn't seem right to me at all. I pushed it away though.

I was closing in on the place where he usually joins me, and normally I would see a faint light in the distance. But as I craned my neck to look, I couldn't see anything. Nothing. Zip. Nada.

I increased my speed even more, just thinking that he's must be pretty far ahead, that's all; it's got to be. Cause sometimes Shadow's late too; Damn Chaos Control... I decided to take a short-cut to get to Central City faster, and hopefully see him there.

Speaking of Shadow, he's been acting very strange for the past few days, avoiding the whole team, even Rouge. Lately good ol' Shads had actually opened himself up to all of us, but him and I have always kept our rivalry somewhat. I don't think he even wanted to really be, like acutal friends with me, just friendly rivals; maybe allies.

I'm now almost half-way through the City, and no sign of him anywhere. If I took the short-cut, then I should have caught up to him by now, or, he could just be behind me. Or he could be taking the day off, even Ultimate Fakers need their rest.

After awhile, I gave up on Shad. Screw him, I had a run to complete and more stuff to do later, so I had to get a move on!

And at last I came up on Mystic Ruins. It's always looked like an unfriendly place, but it's just really boggy and muddy around here. I just don't like that I live so close to a lake! Tails says I could wade in the shallow end, but I'm not taking any chances. Maybe I'd like the water more if I knew how to swim...

I sprinted right up to the door, listening to the faint boom behind me. I also noticed that the note I saw there before was gone. Tails must have taken it inside himself.

I walked through the door, preparing to make myself cereal, when I saw everyone sitting around the kitchen table, waiting for me. Amy, Knuckles,Shade, Cream with Cheese, Rouge, and Omega. I braced myself for a hug from Amy, but when I looked at her, she had small tears in her eyes. Same with Cream and Cheese. Rouge looked like she was in shock, Omega, well just looked like he usually does. Shade was staring at her feet, and Knuckles' face was grim. My face immediately paled. What was going on?

Tails was standing by the table too, holding the note in his hand, and he too, looked shocked.

"What's going on, Tails? What happened?" I demanded, anxious.

For an answer, my little bro simply handed me the note. My face dropped as I continued to read it.

_Dear Blue Hedgehog and Friends,_

_ I wondered if I should even leave this note for you, maybe it would have been better if I didn't, but after all we've lived through, you guys derserve to know. _

_ I am leaving. I have to. I can't explain, but you'll find out someday. Only when we meet again, I may not be who I used to be..._

_ I've done something horribly wrong, and now I have to correct it. _

_ So here's my final warnings for you guys:_

_ Stay alert._

_ Don't get distracted._

_ Follow your head, not your heart, no matter how much you think about me._

_ And if you won't listen to any of the things above, then I only ask you one thing..._

_ Don't go looking for me. _

_ Thanks for the Memories,_

_ Shadow the Hedgehog_

_ Chaos is power_

_ Open your heart_

_ Never give up_

_ T_**he controller serves**

_ Race you again_

_ Old times forgotten_

_ Live and Learn_

_ Live for tomorrow_

_ Expect nothing but the best_

_ Don't think in the past_

My whole world came to a stop. A complete and absolute stop.

I knew it would be no good to even try to look for him.

Because I knew, deep down, that Shadow the Hedgehog was gone.

OoO

**This is so tense and fun to write for even me! =D Thanks for reading and RRplease!**

**xAsh**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, I didn't expect all the nice reivews I got! Thanks so much everyone!**

** But now, what's up with the mysterious note Shadow left? **

_OoO_

_Chapter 3:_

_Tails' POV_

Why couldn't this be just a normal morning?

I woke up this morning at about 7:00, a bit earlier than usual. I could hear Sonic downstairs, either returning from his daily run, or just starting it. I know when Sonic's up because he always makes a ton of noise. My typical big brother...

I shuffled across the hallway floor, my twin tails dragging along behind me from tiredness. I continued to make my way into the bathroom to brush my teeth, to discover the usual mess. See, Sonic's the most un-organized person I know. Every single day, he leaves a big mess in the bathroom, especially around the sink. Today, he left toothpaste in the sink, and around the sink, water everywhere on the counter, and his toothbrush had been put into its holder the wrong way.

I let out a sigh and procceded to clean up. I already knew from this, that I didn't have high hopes for today.

After I finally wiped up all the water and stuff, I brushed and stumbled down the stairs, a bit more awake than I was. I was about to sit down and make myself breakfast, when I remembered I had to get the mail, because Sonic never does.

As I stepped outside, I could tell it was going to be a great day. It wasn't overly hot, and there was a light breeze; just perfect. I walked down to the mailbox, and opened it to find nothing in it. Oh Well, maybe it hasn't come yet.

But that's not all of it. I continued back toward the front door, when I noticed a piece of paper taped to it. I quickly ran up to it, and grabbed it off the door, with a sense of urgency.

I sprinted back into the kitchen, and sat down at the table, as I began to read the note. All the color seemed to drain from my shocked face as I read on.

After I completed it, I stood up slowly, shaking like crazy. Dropping the note, I raced over to the phone and began to dial Rouge's number. Everyone needed to know about this, whether they liked it or not.

"Hello?"

"Rouge! Thank God! I need you to come over here right away!"

"What's wrong? It better not be one of your inventions again..."

"No! This is serious." I panicked, worried that she was going to refuse. She just couldn't refuse, after all, she was the closest to him!

"All alright, alright. I'll be over-"

"And bring Omega too."

"I will." And the phone clicked, indicating that this conversation was over. Sweating, I began to dial Amy's number...

OoO

About a half an hour later, everyone was gathered around my kitchen table, muttering and shooting me dirty glares, like they all thought that this wasn't important enough! Anger replaced my shock and I shouted, "Hey! This is serious! So stop glaring at me, and listen up!" I began to read the note out loud...

_Dear Blue Hedgehog and Friends,_

_I wondered if I should even leave this note for you, maybe it would have been better if I didn't, but after all we've lived through, you guys derserve to know. _

_I am leaving. I have to. I can't explain, but you'll find out someday. Only when we meet again, I may not be who I used to be..._

_I've done something horribly wrong, and now I have to correct it. _

_So here's my final warnings for you guys:_

_Stay alert._

_Don't get distracted._

_Follow your head, not your heart, no matter how much you think about me._

_And if you won't listen to any of the things above, then I only ask you one thing..._

_Don't go looking for me. _

_Thanks for the Memories,_

_Shadow the Hedgehog_

_Chaos is power_

_Open your heart_

_Never give up_

_T_**he controller serves**

_Race you again_

_Old times forgotten_

_Live and Learn_

_Live for tomorrow_

_Expect nothing but the best_

_Don't think in the past_

Silence. Complete and absolute silence. Then, slowly, it started to register in the other's minds what the note really ment. Amy and Cream started crying, Rouge looked appalled, and I swear I saw tough Shade shead a single tear, while Knuckles looked grimly around at everybody.

"Why...Why did he?" Rouge whispered, I think more to herself than anybody else. I probably looked shocked myself, it wasn't easy reading the note aloud without my voice cracking. Sonic was going to have to see this note...wait...what was I going to tell Sonic? He wasn't going to take this well, not after what he and Shadow have been through!

Speak of Sonic, there he is right now, standing in the doorway, peering around, confused at everybody.

"What's going on Tails? What happened?" He demanded. I couldn't even answer him, so all I could do was hand him the note.

I could see as he began to read it, his face began to get paler and paler, as he understood. But I don't think he really thought Shadow was gone for good...but none of us could hide from the truth now...

"I-...I-..." Sonic tried to say something, but failed dismally, as the note dropped to the floor.

"I'm sorry Sonic. I should have known..." Rouge told him quietly. "He hadn't been acting like himself for the past couple of days... but I didn't think he was going to do this..."

"It's not your fault, Rouge...there's nothing we can do about this. Shadow's gone, and that's the truth. None of us can hide from it now." I hear my brother hiss. Suddenly, very violently, Shade stood up, her eyes burning.

"How can you say that, Sonic the Hedgehog? After everything you went through with him, and now you're just ready to accept that he's gone? He's not gone! I don't believe it for one second, and neither should you! And we're not going to let this go. We'll start searching for him, no matter what the note said!" Shade's voice was cracking at the end, and her knees were shaking as she yelled at Sonic, who shrunk back as though he had been slapped in the face.

"She's right. We've got to find him." Amy said, while wiping Cream's tears away.

"Hold on everybody," My voice seemed to have returned. "There's something suspicous about this note."

"What? Tails, this note was as straight-forward as you can get!" Sonic quiestioned me, but I ignored him.

"But why would Shadow right all that stuff under his signature? That doesn't seem like him. He must have done it for a reason." I began to examine the note more carefully as I continued, "Look at this part here. The word, _The Controller serves_ is highlighted. And I don't think it was on accident. I think it was done on purpose."

Shade took the note out of my hand and peered at it, probably hoping to find something hidden. Shade was our decoder, after all. She interpreted a lot of hidden messages, passwords and stuff like that. If anyone could find something, she could.

But after a couple of minutes passed, Shade looked up, frustrated. "I don't understand. Nothing at the bottom of this note makes any sense at all! I just don't get it. Those phrases don't mean anything!"

Our faces fell again as we lost hope.

"We-we've g-got t-to f-find Mr. S-Shadow." Cream stuttered from where she was sitting, with Amy.

"Cream's right, Sonic. Chances are if he left this note last night, he can't have been gone long. Let's get started right away." Amy ordered.

"I agree. I'll get the X Tornado, and Cream and Amy can come with me. Sonic can search on the ground, and Rouge can search from the skies. Shade and Knuckles can also search on the ground. Omega can go with them." I demanded as we all sprung into action.

But something was still bothering me about that note...

OoO

**Yess! Another Chapter done! Hope you all enjoyed it, and the next chapter will be 5 years later! Thanks for reading and RR please!**

**xAsher**


	4. Chapter 4: 5 years later

**Holy Crap! Thanks for all the reviews! Here's chapter 4!**

**OoO**

_Chapter 4: 5 years later_

_Sonic's POV _

"Hey Sonic! I think we may be getting closer! Look what Shade found!" My lil bro called out to me from the X Tornado. I immediately ran up beside the plane, my hopes rising.

It's now been 5 whole years since the morning Shadow disappeared, and we haven't stopped searching ever since. It hasn't been easy, we're always on the go, and no time to relax and cool off. Everyday we seem to get closer, but yet farther away from finding him.

You know, all these years have taken a toll on us all, myself included. Tails is so flustered these days, while there's Amy, that rarely smiles any more. Searching all the time gets pretty rough and boring a lot of times, even Cream has just about lost her optimistic spirit.

"What is it?" I answered him.

"I think she's found a burnt mark in the sand that looks like his Chaos Spears!" Tails replied, lowering the small plane lower to let me hop on.

"Interesting..." I mumbled, my hopes falling back down once again. How is a stupid mark in the sand supposed to help us find him? It was probably scorched a long time ago.

"I know you're disappointed, Sonic, but anything we find leads us closer, even if it doesn't seem like it to you." The young fox sighed, turning back to the controls. "We're nearly there now."

I watched the ground move below us as we moved in to land, where Shade was standing, crouched in the dirt. Before it could even land, I bolted out and raced over to her.

"Take a look. It's right down there." Shade pointed lower in the small hole, where I saw a neat, mini lightning bolt shaped burn mark.

"I've already gotten a sample of it to take back to the workshop, whenever we drop by." My face fell as I remembered how long we had been away from home. We rarely saw any of the others while on our trips. In fact, I haven't seen Amy, Cream, Knuckles, or Rouge for about 5 months now, so I'm itching to go home, and just take it easy for one day.

"I say we-" but I was interruptedby Tails yelling, "Come here, quick! You have to see this!" We both made a mad dash to the Tornado, where we saw him, looking at the small screen he had built in. It showed Central City, almost completely destroyed by what looked like a hedgehog. From what I saw, the hedgehog was completely covered in back clothes, even his quills. The only things I could see where his eyes and gloves.

His eyes were a glowing dark silver that had no pupils. His gloves were pure white, with white rings snapped around them, by his ankles too, and they seemed to glow.

"Who...is that?" Shade beat me to the question.

"I don't have any idea. None of the military forces have been able to stop him. But they've all been saying the figure keeps growling odds statements, but they haven't told us what." Tails looked around at us. "You don't think this is Eggman's doing, do you?"

"No way. I haven't seen Robuttnik in years. Besides, this guy is too powerful to be of Eggy's creations."

"I agree. We better be getting back to Mystic Ruins, although it'll take some time to get back, at least over night. We'll check it out after we sleep." Shade suggested, and Tails and I nodded.

I was finally going to see my friends again...

OoO

**Okay, I'm really sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Next chapter: The mysterious figure's point of view. What happend during the destruction of Central City? Find out next time!**

**xAsh**


	5. Chapter 5: I am all of me

**I can't help myself, I'm on an updating spree! =) I'm hoping to update my other stories soon and finish up Sonic the Babysitter.**

OoO

_Chapter 5:_

_Unknown POV_

It's happened...

I knew this was going to happen, and there was nothing I could do about it! But I can't dwell in the past anymore. It won't help my current situation.

"Let's try this out, shall we...ah, what should I call you now?" He purred to me, smooth as butter. I wanted to slam his fat head into the wall, and see how he likes being bossed and thrown around for a change! But unfortunatly, he prevented me from doing that. And about that, I'll explain later...

"You have no right to call me what I used to be! Come up with a new name." I hissed; at least I could control what I said, most of the time.

"Name yourself."

"Then you can refer to me as Dark from now on." I snarled, already liking my name. It was a representation of what I had been through, and what was to come. My dark future...

"Very well, Dark. I want you to destroy Central City, and be ruthless while your at it. If you fail to do so, you'll be severvly tortured. Get going."

"No, I won't do it!" I yowled, trying to fight it, but with no hope. I would be forced to kill innocent people, and probably harm myself in the process. But there's no turning back now, I promised myself that a long time ago, before I became this.

Having no control, I walked outside, him following.

"Get going. We don't have all day!" I grunted and disappeared in a flash of light.

See, I wasn't always this way. I used to be myself, have freedom over my own body. He changed all of that, but I'm not like any other of his robots and androids. I still have fur, and blood, but near my ribcage is all mechanic from the inside. My eyes have no pupils, and are a deep, dark grey, like Metal Sonic's eyes. I still have my gloves and inhibitor rings, but my rings are now white, and help him to control me.

But that's not all: there's a single, small computor chip inside my brain that gives him acess to do whatever he wants to me, even destroy an entire city. I'm comepletly covered in black material, even my quills, that hide my colorings.

The real reason I don't want to destroy that city? Him...That's right, him. Not that he would reconize me anymore. Why you may ask? That's my secret...

I took off, heading straight for the city, just as I was thinking, it would be fun to beat up the GUN Commander; that bastard. So at least I had something to look forward to in my shitty life of being a half robot, half organic hedgehog.

I finally came upon the bridge that connected Green Hill Zone and the entrance to Central City. I used to race him here, you know. Knowing him, he comepletly ignored my message and is searching for me. Not that he'll ever find me now!

I came right into the heart of the city now, unoticed; I was always good at staying in the shadows. Targeting the nearest building, I soared straight through it in a flash of light. Chaos erupted. People screamed, and children cried. The military shouted commands, but it was too late. Most of them would be dead by the end of this all...

Unless, I yelled out a warning. I was still able to speak under my own command, so this could be used to my advanatge, if they would listen to me after I just wrecked a giant building.

"If you want to live, clear out. There won't be a city when he's through with it. I don't want to do this, but I have to!" I growled. Most Mobians flinched and stepped back, but the military wasn't going to go silently.

"Bullshit!"

"Fine. But I can't block him out, so prepare to see your city in pieces." I shot 7 yellow spears at them, each making a direct hit.

I think it's time you knew what I've been keeping a secret for five years now. You See...

I was,

I am,

Shadow the Hedgehog.

OoO

**Oooh, cliffie! Sorry for the shortness of this chapter! Next chapter: Sonic, Tails, and Shade finally return home after 5 months away. How will their friends react? And Sonic's itching to know more about the mysterious hedgehog...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, here's the next chapter for ya all to enjoy. I'm feelin pretty damn lazy, so ya probably won't have another update for at least a weeeeeeeeeeek. I think I'm losin my mind! =P**

OoO

_Chapter 6 _

_Sonic's POV_

Please, please don't let it be true!

I stared at the tall skyscrapers below as we moved along in the X Tornado. But I barely noticed them. All I could think about was home, and of course, Shadow. He's been on all of our minds all the time...

I chanced a glance over at Shade, and I could tell instantly that she was thinking the same thing. Her eyes were glossy and she seemed to be in deep thought, so I let her be.

"Hey, are we almost there?" I demanded impatiently to Tails.

"Nearly. Just hang in there, Sonic. There's the workshop right now." My lil bro pointed down at the familiar, small house we both liked so much. And squinting down there, I could see a tiny pink dot running out of it; it must have been Amy. I missed seeing her so much.

"I'm landing right now." Tails informed us as he moved in to land the plane. I jumped right out of the Tornado even before it touched the ground, and Shade did too.

"Hey, hey Amy!" I called to her, and she spun around, a smile appearing on her face. "Sonic, you're back!" But then her beautiful smile quickly turned to a frown.

"Ames, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"It's- wait, no, you can't know about him-"

"We know. Are you talking about the dark hedgehog that demolished Central City?" Shade contradicted her.

"Yes. I was just on my way to see Knuckles-" Once again, Shade interupted, "Why? I thought Tikal and Chaos were watching the Emerald."

"Shade, give her a chance to explain." I snapped, feeling suddenly on edge.

"He's in the hospital. He went to try and fight off that mysterious hedgehog all by himself, without telling any of us. That thing made easy work of him too. His right foot is broken and he's been unconcious for a couple of days now..." I felt my cheerful, happy mood drop as soon as I heard Amy say that. Knuckles, getting beaten to a pulp? I couldn't imagine it, but I was forced to accept it. But my a little part of my brain keep telling me, _You know it isn't true. _

Shade gasped, and I could see the worry in her eyes and all over her face. Amy just continued to look grim as ever.

"Amy, Sonic, Shade, come here!" Tails suddenly yelled, waving his hand.

I zoomed right over, temporarily forgetting about Knuckles. My brother was hunched over is screen in the X Tornado, eyeing something closely.

"Look at this! I searched through the news stations and I managed to hack into their computor where they were keeping the files and pictures of the hedgehog." He moved his hand away to reveal a hedgehog, wearing black clothing over his entire body, even his quills and face. His eyes, like I thought, were that creepy, soulless dark grey color.

The girls moved up behind me to get a peek at him too, so I stepped out of the way for a sec to think things over. Just when I thought that I could finally get some peace, this comes up. I haven't had one damn peaceful day since that black bastard disappeared! I half blame him for all this shit that's been happening to me, but, I know, deep down, that the only person to blame for this...is myself.

I can't escape myself, and I know it all too well. I've tried, and tried, but everytime I think I've escaped, it comes back to haunt me.

Everytime Rouge would come up to me and ask me if I'd seen Shadow, I would just shrug it off and continue doing what I was doing. When secretly...

I knew all along that he was going to disappear.

He told me himself, the day before he left. I've kept it hidden from my friends for five years, and I regret it, day after day after day...

I even kept the horrible truth from my own mind, never revealing anything, not even inside my own head. Because, now, I know, someone's listening...

_I can't escape myself..._

OoO

_6:00 PM_

_Shade's POV_

As soon as I got caught up with what was going on around this area of Mobius, I secretly snuck away to visit Knuckles in Station Square hospital.

I know, as well as anyone, that during these dark days, you're not supposed to go off on your own, but I was very different that everybody else. I lived alone for most of my life, before I was a part of the Nocturnus Clan, so I knew what I was dealing with.

I think, although, I won't admit it, that a part of me died when I found out Shadow was gone. I don't know why it struck me so much, but it did, and I'm ashamed of it. I was probably the person who knew Shadow the least; and he probably hardly knew anything about me either.

And then, after Five months away from home, I get the news that Knuckles is in critical condition and there's a mass destructor on the loose. What a way to return home.

I'm worried for all of us secretly with this new hedgehog on the loose. I now understand that even this situation may be over Sonic's head for once...

Anways, I was just about to the hospital when I heard a loud scream coming from my wrist communicator.

And it was coming...

From Sonic...

OoO

Hay everyone I'm back! Sorry for the long wait for the update. I'm so sorry I haven't updated any of my other fics latetly, it's just I love writing this one so much! ^^ And plus I'm back in my warriors craze! =P So if anyone wants to chat about warriors, just PM me; they're really interesting!

xAsher


	7. Chapter 7: The Writing on the Wall

**I'm really sorry for the late update, I'm going to try and update all of my stories this week. =/ No garuntees. Please enjoy this chapter and review if you read!**

OoO

_Chapter 7: The Writing on the Wall_

_Sonic's POV_

No...no...

I had just began to get settled in my own home once again when we noticed Shade was missing.

Just Great.

Tails and Amy were all for sending a search party, but I declined it. Shade wasn't some little girl. She could damn well take care of herself. Plus, it was pretty obvious she had snuck out to visit Knuckles.

"But Sonic, what if that hedgehog gets her?" Amy questioned me, "Even Knuckles couldn't beat him, let alone Shade!"

"Amy calm down, Sonic knows what he's doing." Yeah right, Tails. I have no idea what I'm doing these days. It seems like every morning I have to tell myself to get out of bed, to drag myself downstairs, and go searching for him yet again.

It was still faintly light out, but I decided to go to bed anyways. I was exhausted, and I kind of hoped it would take some of the worries off my mind.

I trudged into the bathroom to brush my teeth, when I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I looked awful. Heck, awful was an understatement.

My blue fur was matted down with dirt and grime, and it had lost it's sleek, shiny look. I was appalled at seeing myself this way, but I was far to tired and lazy to take a shower right now.

So after brushing my teeth, I forced myself to walk back across the hall into my bedroom, which looked exactly as I had left it when we left months ago.

I quickly took off my running shoes and tossed them carelessly in a corner with my socks. I threw on an old white undershirt and slipped into bed, flipping the light switch off.

I heard a beeping sound, and I realized that I forgot to take off my wrist communicator. Light filled that room once more as I struggled to take off the communicator.

And that's when I saw it.

Right across from my bed, written on the walls in what looked like blood, read:

_Abandon your search...or watch your friends die..._

I was chilled to the bone.

I backed up as far against my bed as I could go, hitting the communicator on the back head board, activating it.

I don't remember ever being so panicked. I let out a loud scream, but I was too terrified to even move.

I could hear footsteps running up the stairs; no doubt Tails and Amy rushing to see what had happened. They burst in, turning the lights on, making the message disappear.

"Sonic! What happened?" Tails asked.

"D-didn't You s-see it?" I stuttered, pointing at the wall where the message used to be.

"There's nothing there! Sonic, if this is just a prank, it's not funny!" Amy said harshly.

"Turn the lights back on, and you'll see it!" Tails hit the switch again, but the words did not re-appear like I thought they would.

"What? What happened to them, I swear, there were words there just a minute ago, I-" But it was too late. Tails and Amy had already left the room, without even saying a word.

I knew they were seriously ticked off with me, but if had been there and seen it, they would have been scared too.

I couldn't sleep the rest of the night, so after the two of them went to bed, I crept downstairs to watch TV for the remainder of night.

Suddenly, Shade burst throught the door, her eyes wild. "Sonic! Come quick, it's the hedgehog, and he's headed right for the hospital where Knuckles is!"

OoO

**Er- I...I know this wasn't the best chapter, it felt kinda rushed to me, but it was nessesary. Sorry if it was a little boring, but don't worry, next chapter won't be, when Sonic finally confronts the mystery hedgehog aka Shadow...**

**xAsher**


	8. Chapter 8

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Couldn't help myself. I had to update cause of all the great reviews I got. ^^ Thanks everybody, it means a lot to me.

One reason I wanted to update is that this story is now dedicated to my great friend, Drake the Duck. Drake, if you're reading this right now, your an awesome friend. You always make me laugh =) Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Okay, enough of me ranting on, please, on to the fic :)

OoO

_Chapter 8_

_Shadow/Dark's POV_

Faker...

It was nightfall in Central City, or rather, what was left of it. I had comepletly destroyed it, even the giant GUN base. At least that felt pretty satisfying.

Street lights still flickered dimly in the wrecked city streets. Lamp posts were twisted in half, as were stop signs and stuff like that.

You know, I'm kind of suprise that that blue hedgehog hasn't shown up here to check out the damage and try to find the one responsible. Which wouldn't be that hard, seeing as Robotnik wouldn't let me get away from him without a fight. But then again, he's already preoccupied with another little 'mystery'.

I let out a sigh and turned away. Reaching into my quills I pulled out the green chaos emerald I had robbed from the Commander himself. I held it high above me, just like I used to and whispered, "Chaos...Control" I disappeared in a flash of light.

I was a bit surprised to find that I was not teleported to Robotnik's base, but deeper into the city. Damn Chaos emerald.

I scanned the surroundings before taking a few steps forward. I needed to be careful who saw me.

When I had finally deemed the area safe, I walked forward to where a small resteruant had collapsed. I didn't even know how I could tell it was a cafe any longer, but I did. That's how badly I wrecked it.

I pressed my ear up against the wood. Nothing. Not a single sound. I tried listening in another spot. No luck either. Maybe there was no one inside...

No, there had to be.

I bent down low and found a small hole in all the wreckage. It seemed about my size, so I decided to check it out.

At the bottom, in the darkness, I could still tell that it had led me to the resteraunt. There were the remains of meals scattered all over the floor. Tables and chairs were upturned, and there was something lying in the far corner, right by where the door used to be...

"Hey! You there." I hissed to the figure in the dark. Of course, I didn't expect it to answer me, but that's exactly what it did.

"You..." He whispered murderously. "You..."

I immediatly knew that this person- whoever the hell he was- knew exactly who I was. Looks like I'd have to fix that.

"Tell me your name!" I demanded, taking a step closer.

He just laughed manically. "But you already know who I am...don't you Shadow?"

Suddenly, as if on que, the lights came on in a flash, and I saw who it was.

That bastard guardian that guarded that damn rock all day.

Knuckles.

"I am no longer Shadow. That was in the past." I growled.

"No, you are still Shadow, whatever you do. I see it in you, you aren't bad inside. I can still see the good in you." Knuckles replied calmly, standing up.

"You're wrong. There is no good left in me. None. I only feel the darkness and destruction and the chaos flowing through me." A small smirk came upon my face as I continued, "And now, I'm afraid I can't let you live. You know too much. So, any last words?"

Knuckles' face was contorted with rage, but hissed, "You'll never kill me."

"Watch me."

I disappeared and reappeared behind the confused idiot and dove in, attaching myself to his leg. I gave a hard jerk, and he yowled in pain and I heard something crack.

I let go and backed away, watching him writhe in pain, clutching his probably know broken or worse leg. But that wasn't good enough.

And in a flash of light, some screams and cries, everything went dark.

OoO

"Ughhhh...," I mumbled as my eyes blinked open. The first lights of dawn were streaming in through the broken remains of the window. The entire wrecked resteraunt was illuminated with the redish orange light of the dawn.

I tried to sit up, but I went straight back down. My head hurt like hell. Then I remembered the fight last night and the red guardian...

Knuckles...

I rolled around on the floor until I caught sight of him. I couldn't help looking away.

His entire right leg was twisted at a horribly funny angle, and blood was leaking out of a crack in his head. He also was sporting two black eyes.

He was in bad shape, and as much as I hated him, I knew if he didn't get medical help soon, he was going to die. Plus, I was too damn soft-hearted about what Shade would think if she didn't have him.

So I managed to get to my feet rather shakily. I lifted Knuckles up by his left arm and slung him over my back like a sack. I punched whatever was left of the crooked door, and stepped out into the dawn's light.

There seemed to be no one up, but I knew that wasn't the case. There was bound to be some damn GUN soldier, hoping to catch me. Like that was ever going to happen.

I reached into my quills with my one free hand and readied myself for another attempt at Chaos Control. I took one last look around me and whispered, "Chaos control."

We reappeared in some bushes right by the front of the Station Square hospital. I knew I had to get the guardian noticed, but I didn't know how without having someone see or get suspicious.

So you know what? I left him there. He was stupid enough to pick a fight with me and know he was going to pay the price, even if he had to lay here for a month or more for medical help.

Serves him right.

I made my way back to the collasped cafe and slid back down the hole. It felt good to be back down here for some reason. I scavaged in the back storage area and found, strangly, a portible blow up mattress. I snapped my fingers and the thing was fully inflated.

I yanked one of the tablecloths from the table and draped it around myself as my vision blackened and I sunk into a deep sleep...

OoO

When I awoke later that day, I peered out the window and saw that night had just began to fall. Hmm...I wonder if Faker got his little 'surprise' yet...

Never mind that. I had another mission to do than to worry about that moron. He was certainly capable of handling himself- some of the time.

I took out my chaos emerald and muttered 'Chaos Control', and I reappeared right in the spot where I had left Knuckles. I was shocked to find that he was gone. Which means, they must have found him, or the other 'they' must have found him.

Good riddence. I still think he deserved what he got-

"It's, it's, it's, it's..." I immediatly turned around and flung my arm out to punch whatever was talking to me. It made contact, and I saw that it was none other than...

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Cliffie! yeah, I lied. I said that there would be a Sonic v Shadow fight, but it just took up to much room. I'm savin that for next chapter! ^^


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